Acting
Alan Ladd
Biography
Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and producer known for his cool, understated screen presence and his defining roles in 1940s and 1950s film noir and Westerns. Standing 5 ft 6 in (168 cm), Ladd became famous for the contrast between his modest height and his commanding on‑screen persona, a combination studios often enhanced through camera techniques and staging. He was frequently paired with Veronica Lake, one of the few major actresses shorter than he was, and together they became one of Hollywood’s iconic noir duos. Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Ladd moved to North Hollywood as a child and worked various jobs before entering the film industry. After years of small roles — including an uncredited appearance in Citizen Kane — he achieved stardom with This Gun for Hire (1942). His quiet intensity and stoic charm resonated strongly with wartime audiences, making him one of the decade’s top box‑office draws. Ladd went on to star in a series of successful films, including The Glass Key (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946), Whispering Smith (1948), Shane (1953), and The Proud Rebel (1958). Though his popularity declined somewhat in the late 1950s, he continued to work steadily in both film and television and produced several of his later projects. Ladd died in 1964 at the age of 50 from cerebral edema caused by acute alcohol and barbiturate intoxication, which was ruled an accidental death. Despite his relatively short life, he remains a defining figure of classic Hollywood — a performer whose quiet strength, distinctive presence, and memorable roles continue to influence the Western and noir genres.
Movies with Alan Ladd
Citizen Kane
1941
Shane
1953
The Movie Orgy
1968
The Blue Dahlia
1946
The Proud Rebel
1958
Saskatchewan
1954
Boy on a Dolphin
1957
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982
The Reluctant Dragon
1941
The Badlanders
1958
My Favorite Brunette
1947
The Great Gatsby
1949
The Black Cat
1941
Santiago
1956
The Glass Key
1942
This Gun for Hire
1942
Red Mountain
1951
Petticoat Politics
1941
100 Years at the Movies
1994
The Howards of Virginia
1940
The Carpetbaggers
1964
The Black Knight
1954
Drum Beat
1954
Variety Girl
1947
The Red Beret
1953
The Big Land
1957
The Green Hornet
1940
The Deep Six
1958
O.S.S.
1946
Desert Legion
1953
A Cry in the Night
1956
Whispering Smith
1948
13 West Street
1962
One Foot in Hell
1960
Hollywood Victory Caravan
1945
Appointment with Danger
1950
Wild Harvest
1947
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
2004
The Iron Mistress
1952
Gangs Inc.
1941
Botany Bay
1952
Salty O'Rourke
1945
Joan of Paris
1942
Wildcat Bus
1940
The Man in the Net
1959
Beyond Glory
1948
Rat Pack
2022
Thunder in the East
1952
Hell Below Zero
1954
Great Guns
1941
Hell on Frisco Bay
1955
Brother Rat and a Baby
1940
All the Young Men
1960
The Last Train from Madrid
1937
Captain Caution
1940
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
Souls at Sea
1937
Saigon
1947
Murder at the Vanities
1934
Guns of the Timberland
1960
Secrets of a Nurse
1938
Branded
1950
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
Lucky Jordan
1942
China
1943
Pigskin Parade
1936
Come On, Leathernecks!
1938
The McConnell Story
1955
Duffy's Tavern
1945
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
The Goldwyn Follies
1938
I Look at You
1941
Chicago Deadline
1949
Calcutta
1946
Cadet Girl
1941
Rulers of the Sea
1939
Duel of Champions
1961
Two Years Before the Mast
1946
And Now Tomorrow
1944
Hold 'Em Navy
1937
Captain Carey, U.S.A.
1950
Cross-Country Romance
1940
Skirmish on the Home Front
1944
Those Were the Days!
1940
Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man
1999
The Mysterious Miss X
1939
Hitler: Beast of Berlin
1939
Meet the Missus
1940
Once in a Lifetime
1932
The Light of Western Stars
1940
Her First Romance
1940
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
1940
Victory
1940
Tom Brown of Culver
1932
Freshman Year
1938
All Over Town
1937
Meat and Romance
1940
Saturday's Millions
1933
In Old Missouri
1940
Unfinished Rainbows
1941
Petunia Natural Park
1939
Sauce for the Gander
1940
Blame It on Love
1940
Military Training
1941
Photographic Intelligence for Bombardment Aviation
1943
American Portrait
1940
